Consul General Guillaume Lacroix visited Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota from December 4th through the 7th to meet with industry leaders and cultural partners in the region.

The French-American community came in force to support France’s priorities: business, bilingual education, students mobility and research partnerships.

Dr. Tim Mahoney, Mayor of Fargo, was the first to welcome Consul General Lacroix to the most populous city in North Dakota.

Consul General Lacroix visited with the North Dakota Trade Office, and agricultural technology firms including Amity Technology and IntelligentAg as well as engineering and manufacturing tech company Appareo.

France is the leading agricultural country in the European Union as its largest producer and second largest exporter. Since France is a major agricultural powerhouse, partnerships with agro businesses throughout the Midwest are mutually beneficial.

Fargo is also home to the second headquarters of Microsoft. Consul General Lacroix met with a team from Microsoft Fargo to discuss their need to recruit French-speaking staff in the Silicon Prairie, and the necessity to partner with universities and French-American innovation platforms.

Consul General Lacroix also met with members of the French community in Fargo at a happy hour event hosted at a local Taproom. It was an opportunity to exchange with French, francophones, and francophiles of the area in an informal way.

Lastly, Consul General Lacroix reinforced the priority of supporting French programs at educational institutions including Sheyenne High School, North Dakota State University, Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.